Your Voice, Your Vote: 'Bring back our lost wildlife'

Whether it is sewage pollution or carbon emissions the next government will play a crucial role in shaping the country's environmental direction.

Not that you'd know it as so far there's been little talk of climate change, according to some voters, while species decline is another pressing issue.

The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has also been clear on what it wants the next government to do in the north west of England - to take environmental issues "seriously".

Lydia German, from the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, said: "Bring back our lost wildlife, end river pollution, fund wildlife-friendly farming, green our communities and tackle climate change."

Voters around the North West have had their say too. Your Voice, Your Vote invites you to tell the BBC what you want us to focus on and explore during the general election campaign.

Jess, 29, from Manchester, said: "We are not doing enough as a country to combat climate change and without drastic action it will be too late."

Carole Darbyshire, also from Manchester, said: "Without a healthy planet, the issues at the forefront this election seem almost irrelevant."

Carol Melling, 82, from Lancashire, said climate change was her most important issue, adding she wants a "better future for my grandchildren".

Ms German said working in conservation could be "very disheartening" as "you do often see policies being pushed back or things being scrapped altogether".

She added she would also like to see river pollution addressed.

"Two of the most polluted rivers in England are within our region; the River Irwell and the River Darwen.

"It's just not acceptable," she said.

Philip Gwynn, a volunteer at the trust, said environment policies are as important as other issues and "will be my main focus when I go to vote".

"I have been watching the debates and I don't think there's been enough mentioned about climate and the nature crisis," he said.

The UK is battling a host of climate issues.

Last year, the Met Office said June was the hottest on record in the UK.

Extreme weather means the region's moors are vulnerable to fires - with the habitat at Winter Hill near Bolton still recovering from a major blaze in 2018 - and North West farmers have lost crops, due to both drought and heavy rain.

The Conservatives and Labour said they were committed to achieving net zero by 2050 while the Liberal Democrats pledge to do it by 2045 and the Green Party by 2040.

Meanwhile, Reform UK wants to scrap net zero targets.

Another environmental issue high on the agenda for some voters is sewage pollution.

Surfers Against Sewage said there were 604, 833 discharges of sewage into UK waters last year and one of the group's campaigners, Giles Bristow, said "people are furious".

"We campaign specifically on ending sewage pollution in our rivers, lakes and seas and whilst this was a theme that came up very much at the beginning when the election was launched, we haven't heard anything about it."

All parties have said they want to clean up our rivers and lakes and want to hold water companies to account.

But for others, the biggest election issue is air pollution.

The campaign group Mums for Lungs Manchester wants the next government to do more to protect us from toxic car fumes.

Liz Godfrey, from the group, said she would like the incoming government to start "not only to recognise the gravity of the situation we've got here, but to really put in some ambitious policies to help reduce air pollution".

She added: "Kids need to breathe clean air."

The Conservatives said they will ban new diesel and petrol cars by 2035 while Labour and the Lib Dems said it will do it by 2030.

Reform UK said they will scrap net zero targets which means petrol and diesel cars would not be banned.

The Green Party said it will deliver a zero carbon electricity supply as soon as possible with sufficient electricity for all cars and vans to be electric.

As green groups call on all parties to be bolder with their green policies, many voters say they want the next government to ensure the UK meets its carbon targets and puts nature first.

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Your Voice, Your Vote: Tell us the issues that matter to you

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